Refrigerator



Nov. 7, 1939. A. c. SHUART 2 178.815

REFRIGERATOR Filed March 27, 1937 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATESREFRIGERATOR Arthur C. Shuart, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Servel, Inc.,New York, N. .Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 37} 1 937,Serial No. 133,451

1 Claim. (01. 312-156) This invention relates to shelf supports, andmore particularly to means for adjustably supporting shelves in aninsulatedrefrigerator cabinet.

I It is an object of the invention to provide a refrigerator cabinetwith means for adjustably supporting shelves therein in a manner toaccommodate various articles to be refrigerated.

A further object is'to provide shelf supporting 10 means which permitseasy application or removal of the shelves and their supports as well aseasy selective adjustment of the shelves to satisfy individualrequirements.

The invention, together with the above and other objects and advantagesthereof, will be better understood from the following description andaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and of which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a refrigerator cabinet with door openillustrating one application of the invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the liner with the shelf in position;

Fig. 3 isan enlarged fragmentary horizontal section of the liner withthe shelf supporting posts or bars in elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a detail of a portion of one of the upright supporting postsand coacting shelf supporting hook.

Referring to the drawing, an insulated refrigerator cabinet I isprovided with a door ll shown in Fig. 1 in open position to expose theinterior or storage compartment of the cabinet. The food compartment isprovided with a liner 12 to which the improved shelf supportingstructure of the present invention is applied and which supports shelves[3.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, theliner is 0 provided with sockets or internal depressions Mpressed into the same during fabrication. These sockets are preferablyarranged in pairs, one upper and one lower.

Upright shelf-supporting rods or bars l5 are 4,5 provided, each havingon its opposite ends adjustable tips "5 of hard rubber, Bakelite or thelike, said tips being adjustably connected to the rod by any desiredmeans, as for example by cooperating screw threads as shown. Four ofthese 50 rods may be utilized, one in each corner of the cabinet asshown, each rod being provided with shelf-supporting hooks or bracketsIT. A single shelf is supported by four of these brackets one on eachupright bar/ r The body portion of each of these-hooks or brackets isformed for adjustable attachment to its respectiveisupporting rod orbar, one such method of attachment being shown on the drawing. As shownin Figs. 1 to 4, the bracket IT is in the form of a collar or sleeve toreceive its supporting rod, the opening of the collar or sleeve in itspreferred form being formed at an angle so that the weight of the shelfhas tendency to tighten the shelf hook or bracket on the rod and preventsliding movement therein. The portion of the bracket which engages therod, or bears thereagainst, has a tendency to bite the rod and provide amore secure frictional engagement therewith. The weight of the shelf onthe bracket, regardless of whether or not the shelf is loaded, causesthe bracket to bind on the rod and remain in a fixed position at anydesired point of adjustment.

The rods l5 may be cylindrical, rectangular, oval, or other desiredshape, certain of which will prevent rotation of the bracket on itssupport.

The advantages of the supporting structure just described will bereadily apparent. It is unnecessary to pierce the liner to accommodatehooks as in the conventional type of shelf support, and this reducescost of fabrication and at the same time insures against leakage ofv airaround holes that may be formed in the liner. The shelves are readilyadjustable to any desired position. The brackets H are formed withrounded recesses to receive the peripheral edge of a shelf I3 andthereby restrain lateral movement of the shelf when it is supported inposition within the storage compartment. Should. it be desired to cleanthe interior of the food compartment, thev 'moved wholly from within thestorage compartment, brackets mounted on said rods, said brackets andsaid rods being so constructed and arranged thatsaid brackets may bemoved to a plurality of levels on said rods within the storagecompartment without the use of tools, and shelves removably supported onsaid brackets within the storage compartment, said shelves beingperforate to allow circulation of air in the storage compartment, andsaid. brackets and said shelves being formed and arranged to restrainhorizontal movement of said shelves while said shelves are supported onsaid bracketswithin the storage compartment.

' ARTHUR C. SHUART.

